CHAPTER 280: CHAPTER 280 THE YOUNG MAN WHO DISREGARDS MARTIAL VIRTUE_1

"Let’s settle this with our fists!"

Du Zilong was out of patience. He had stormed over with his men, full of aggression. Not only had he failed to gain any advantage, but now he was expected to compensate Su Xuan with a large sum of money? This was an outcome he could never accept.

"Any rules?" Su Xuan asked.

"No particular rules!" Du Zilong rolled up his sleeves, revealing the bulging muscles on his arms. He took two steps toward Su Xuan and declared, "Whoever wins gets to call the shots. The loser must obey the winner completely!"

"So, this is settling things the martial world way?" Su Xuan chuckled, then said, "Alright. I’ll have a bout with you."

Ever since he perfected his Ruyi Tai Chi, he hadn’t found a worthy opponent. He’d considered testing his skills on Zhao and Wei of the Five Poisons Sect, but they had little martial prowess, relying mostly on poison. Understandably, his interest had waned. A match with Du’s Tai Chi, however, was a fitting one.

Tai Chi against Tai Chi. Excellent!

"Uh..."

When Du Zilong and the others heard Su Xuan agree so readily, they were stunned. It seemed Su Xuan really was an easy person to deal with.

But can he actually win? Look at him, with his soft skin and no calluses on his hands. He’s clearly a dabbler who picked up Tai Chi halfway—a complete amateur! Once the fight starts, forget about proper forms and routines; he’ll probably just start flailing wildly! He’s no match for us, who’ve trained in martial arts since childhood!

When Du Yuanzheng boasted that he could take down ten men like Su Xuan with a single punch, he wasn’t exaggerating in the slightest.

You can’t win!

Junior Sister Ji Xiaoxuan fretted silently. She felt the best solution was for Su Xuan to pay a little money to resolve the grudge. If a real fight broke out, he would surely be at a disadvantage and might even get his teeth knocked out. Worse still, if he lost the fight, he’d still have to pay the money. The loser has no right to speak.

"Master, perhaps I should exchange a few more blows with them?" Butler Liu, too, had little confidence in Su Xuan. After all, Su Xuan had only just completed his training and lacked real combat experience, whereas his opponents were seasoned practitioners.

But Liu Rufeng didn’t know the truth. During their sparring sessions, Su Xuan had been considerate of the old man’s body and had held back, never showing his true strength. And that wasn’t even factoring in the enhancements he’d received from the system...

"Old Liu," Su Xuan said, standing tall. "In your heart, I’ve never really graduated, have I? This time, I’ll show you if I’m truly qualified."

Before the words had even faded, Su Xuan suddenly twisted his foot on the ground and lunged forward, swinging a palm straight at Du Zilong’s face!

SMACK!

Caught completely by surprise, Du Zilong took the palm to his face. His head snapped back as he stumbled a few steps, and two streams of blood poured from his nose.

"Sneak attack!"

"How despicable!"

"Get him, everyone!"

Seeing this, Du Yuanzheng and the others became enraged, cracking their knuckles as they moved to surround Su Xuan. They truly hadn’t expected him to strike without a word of warning.

This young man had no respect for martial ethics! No sense of the martial world’s code!

ROAR!

Big White, who had been crouching quietly nearby, let out a sudden roar, rearing up on his hind legs and waving his massive paws in the air.

Shi Yazi also grabbed his kitchen knife and rushed to Su Xuan’s side.

Even Little Yun rushed forward, clutching her slender waist.

Wang Xuehan pulled out her phone. If they dared to gang up on Su Xuan, she would call the police immediately. She couldn’t care less about settling things the martial world’s way.

The air grew thick with tension.

"Everyone, back off!" Du Zilong wiped the blood from his nose with his sleeve and roared at his men. He then fixed his gaze on Butler Liu, suppressing his fury as he questioned, "Liu Rufeng, is this how you teach your disciples?"

"Heh heh," the butler grinned. "My master has never had a formal spar before, so he’s a bit lacking in that department. Please bear with him."

With that, he quickly explained to Su Xuan the proper pre-sparring etiquette.

"Understood," Su Xuan nodded after listening to the butler. "He just said there were no particular rules. I assumed we were following real combat protocol."

Although he had never formally sparred with anyone, he had experienced true life-and-death combat. His first move was a reflection of that—just like at the crematorium!

Following Butler Liu’s instructions, Su Xuan cupped his fists toward Du Zilong and announced, "I am Su Xuan, master of the Scholar Mansion at No. 88 Houhai Street. Please advise!" This was the proper etiquette for a formal match.

"I am Du Zilong, Sect Leader of Du’s Tai Chi. Please advise!" The corner of Du Zilong’s mouth twitched. He felt that before the fight had even begun, Su Xuan had already bested him in titles alone.

Du Zilong let out a low bellow and assumed the Du’s Tai Chi stance.

Su Xuan also settled into the Ruyi Tai Chi stance.

"Come!"

"Come!"

After the exchange, the sparring officially began.

His physique is inferior to mine, and his control over Tai Chi’s power can’t possibly compare. I don’t need any fancy routines. I’ll just go straight for the kill and take him out instantly! He deserves this lesson.

With this thought, Du Zilong stamped his left foot, using the rebound force to launch himself forward, aiming a palm strike directly at Su Xuan’s heart.

Su Xuan shifted his right leg back and crossed his arms in a block.

BANG!

Du Zilong’s palm slammed into Su Xuan’s crossed arms. Su Xuan felt a heavy force press down on him, but that was all; it wasn’t particularly formidable. He employed the techniques of Ruyi Tai Chi to channel the incoming force down through his legs. Not only did he not retreat an inch, but his stance became even firmer.

Hmm? Du Zilong’s eyes widened in surprise. As a Tai Chi expert, he knew exactly what Su Xuan had just done, but he was shocked at how perfectly he had executed it.

He pressed down harder with his palm.

Su Xuan once again redirected the force. He didn’t rush to counterattack, giving Du Zilong plenty of face. He also remembered what Butler Liu had told him: martial artists were proud and must be defeated so thoroughly that they had no choice but to accept it. Very well, he would give Du Zilong a defeat he couldn’t argue with, lest he lose too quickly and start making excuses.

"This kid’s got something!" Du Zilong continued to exert pressure but couldn’t budge Su Xuan in the slightest. This was a far cry from his initial plan to defeat him instantly. He immediately brought his other hand up, pressing down on Su Xuan’s arms with both palms.

Before long, beads of sweat had formed on Du Zilong’s forehead. He was clearly using his full strength.

His companions watched, completely dumbfounded.

In Tai Chi, there is a practice called "pushing hands." Two opponents stand still and push against each other; whoever moves first loses. The contest seems simple, but it incorporates the application of various Tai Chi forces, such as ward-off energy, hard energy, soft energy, inquiring energy, neutralizing energy, and emitting energy.

Du Zilong was a master of pushing hands. In his entire sect, there wasn’t a single person he couldn’t push.

But now, he couldn’t move Su Xuan at all. And he had worked himself into a sweat trying.

What did this mean?

"So..." Su Xuan was getting bored. "Is this what you call a match? Are you sure you want to keep this up?"

"If you’re so skilled, then stop neutralizing my force!" Du Zilong retorted, his face red with exertion. "Use your own power to push me!"

"Alright. You asked for it."

Su Xuan took a deep breath and suddenly extended his arms.

What happened next left everyone staring, completely dumbfounded...